The concept of treating water with chemicals such as chlorine or bromine to kill bacteria is old in the art. One of the methods of dispensing bacteria killing chemicals into the water is to use a dispersal valve that allows a portion of the water to flow through the water soluble chemical which is located in a single compartment within the dispersal valve. Typically, a chemical such as chlorine or a metallic compound such as silver is used to kill the bacteria.
The prior art further includes devices that hold two solids and separately dispenses the dissolvable solids into the water as shown in the U.S. Pat. No. 3,378,027. The patent shows a water treatment apparatus having two separate compartments each for holding a dissolvable solid chemical therein. Once the chemicals are dissolved they are allowed to flow into a storage tank.
Still another apparatus for dispensing two different chemicals is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,251,656 which shows a multiple chemical feeder for swimming pools. The feeder has a first compartment for holding a canister containing a solid chemical and a second compartment for holding a collapsible container having a liquid chemical dispersant. The solid chemical is dissolved and dispensed by flowing water through it. The liquid chemical is dispensed by exerting pressure on the outside of a collapsible container to force the liquid chemical out of the dispenser and into the system. The chemicals are maintained separate from one another until they are introduced into the fluid stream. In the present invention the one portion of a bifurcated fluid stream flows through a canister holding a chemical dispersant and the other portion flows through a canister containing minerals which kill algae and bacteria to provide a system where the levels of the chemical dispersants can be maintained at a lower level without raising the level of bacteria in the system. After passing through the canisters the bifurcated stream is reunited and then directed into the liquid stream flowing through the dispersal valve.
The present invention allows one to use a prior art single compartment dispersal valve to hold nestable canisters wherein two different materials can be separately dissolved and simultaneously dispersed into a bifurcated fluid mixing stream with the bifurcated fluid mixing steam subsequently combined into a single stream for delivering the chemical and minerals dispersants into the liquid stream through a single dispersal valve. The nestable canisters are placeable within existing dispersal valves that normally contain only a single canister.
The nestable canisters provide for multiple water treatment in a single step by providing one canister that can dispense a dispersant such as chlorine and a second nestable canister that contains minerals such as an improved algaecide to provide both bacteria killing and algae killing capability from a dispersal valve that normally dispenses only a single dispersant at a time. The invention further includes an improved bactericide and algaecide comprising a zinc carrier having a silver coating which is located in an acid absorbing bed of limestone. The zinc and silver inhibit bacteria and algae while the limestone neutralizes acids formed during the water treatment process. The combination of the chemical treatment and the mineral treatment provides a treatment system that lowers the necessary amount of chemical in the pool as the bacteria is killed by contact with the minerals in the second canister.